Metroid Prime: Phazon Mountain
by Nielas Ravenstar
Summary: Time itself is against Samus... will she find the Pirate legend, Phazon Mountain before time consumes Samus in the grips of death? Chapter 3 up, r&r please. If you liked my first two chapters, continue reading.
1. Introduction and Chapter 1

Disclaimer: what the fuck? What the hell is a disclaimer for anyways? It's not like Nintendo's gonna sue me for posting a cool story!

~Introduction~

            Many years have passed since Samus defeated Metroid Prime and abandoned Tallon IV for it to return to its normal state… the remnants of the Pirates boarded their Frigate the Vai and fled… but the Hunter was hot on them… they fled to Zebes, where they found out that their brethren, who were supposed to have restored Kraid and the Mother Brain, had abandoned their facilities, evacuated the planet…

            But no longer was it empty. They salvaged the research facility, and rebuilt everything. They found, in a vast chamber flooded with acid, the Mother Brain lying in ruins. Beyond they saw Kraid, feasting on the Space Pirates who unfortunately didn't make it off the planet. They immediately set to work. The Pirates began to bio-engineer the brain of Kraid. He soon was at the Pirate's command once again, and all was good. But in the distant, the Hunter watched over them, ever patient, ever wrathful…

            The Pirate's mysterious leader, by the name of the Dragon Hawk, walked amongst the shadows, awaiting the Hunter's arrival… everything was so mysterious… even to Samus… for soon enough, the Pirates left once again, launching their Frigate into the void, looking for a wayward planet to inhabit. When their sensors reached out for an inhabitable planet with good resources, their computer returned one planet that haunted everyone's visions:

            Tallon IV.

            The Pirates regretfully returned, and began to rebuild their facilities in the Phendrana region, as well as the Mines of Tallon IV that once flowed with Phazon. It was at this time that the Hunter arrived, and set flame to their few works in the Tallon Overworld. The Pirates fled in dismay, but all was good soon enough. For they released Kraid once again, and she did not stand against him long. Kraid defeated her, and her unconscious body was brought to Research Lab Hydra in the Phendrana Drifts. This is where the story begins.

~Chapter 1: The Escape~

            Samus mumbled and opened her eyes. She found herself stripped of all her equipment, and she lay there in her camouflage pants and undershirt. Her side suddenly burned with pain. She yelped and looked up. A Pirate was standing over her, injecting something into her. She moaned, for she knew that Pirate poisons would for sure make her neutralized for weeks. She tried to sit up, but a huge hand slammed her back down. She looked up, and looming over the entire operation was an Elite Pirate, guarding her.

            Samus tried to fall asleep, but the pains of needles and pirate eyes kept her awake. She knew there was no escape this time. But she continued to struggle with her captors. She finally was able to slip off the table and evade the sluggish hands of the Elite Pirate. Samus ran up a long ramp that was falling apart from the many years. The Pirates started yelling and firing at her. She would make it, she knew she would. Samus looked up and groaned. She was staring into the headlights of a Sentry Drone.

            But Samus was crafty and she grabbed the drone and shook it. The drone's alarm went ballistic and she chucked it off the ledge. She made a mad dash for the door and wrenched it open with her hands. She ran, she ran so fast that her feet began to bleed. She ran until she slammed into yet another door. Samus opened it, and fell into the oh-so-familiar Observatory. She snuck up behind four unwary Pirates, and peeked at what they were observing.

            Hanging there, up on the wall, was her Gravity Suit. She clenched her fists, and looked around. The Hunter noticed that all four of them looked rather tired. So she hid behind some computers for what seemed like three hours, but was only about thirty minutes. It was then that she noticed the computers, which were untouched, were totally open. She began to work at the keyboard, and soon all the alarms were going off. The Pirates were out of the room fast. She snuck over to the suit and beam. She slipped into the sleek suit, and ran after the Pirates.

            They didn't notice her. It was when she reached the Lab again was there some problems. She looked around, but no one was there. So she carefully and quietly crept down the ramps. But on accident, Samus stepped on a wire and it twanged. Two Pirates below suddenly turned invisible. Samus jumped the ramp and ran for the door. But in front of the door was her jail warden, the Elite Pirate. Samus stopped and stared. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Samus ran right through his legs and out the door. The Elite Pirate stood there, baffled.

            The Hunter fled to a smoldering grove. There were four Pirates there, along with six Pirates airborne. There was also a shady looking figure in a cloak. On top of the smoldering ashes and broken ice was the Gunship, Hunter-class registered to Samus Aran herself. The escape would end here, positive or negative…


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2: A Mystery~

            Samus stepped down onto a smoldering boulder in the ruined grove. The pirates turned their heads to look at her majestic form. The mysterious figure chuckled under his breath and beckoned the space pirates to evacuate. They went for the exits. Samus stared the figure in the face. He stared back. It was she and he. Samus breathed nervously. Did he wield magnificent weapons that could rip through her instantly?

            After about two minutes, the man spoke finally. "I am Dragon Hawk," he announced. "I know who you are, if legend serves so. You are the Hunter, the missing link in our master plan. I have long wanted to meet you…" Samus gripped her helmet. He could feel his presence in her mind. He knew she had seen him before… She knew he was someone she had fought and, until now, defeated…

            "Newborn they call you," the man said, "Newborn, the Hatchling, the Hunter, Samus Aran… I met you many years ago. You thought you defeated me… foolish you truly are…" Samus had had enough. This man spoke but did not fight. He was probably as weak as Tangle Weed. Samus chuckled at her analogy, but did not dwell on it. She jumped into the air and landed next to him. The Hunter swung her fist at him, but missed. The man had disappeared. No, he had not disappeared, he was behind her!

            Samus jumped at him, but he dodged her with unmatched speed. He continued to dodge her swings and jumps until Samus became exhausted. He then activated some buttons on his wrists, and two laser blades flickered into life on his hands. Dragon Hawk chuckled.

            "You are no match for me. I could kill you now, but I think I will spare you. According to the fates, you are the prime key to our grand plan, the one that will shake the very foundations of the galaxy…" Dragon hawk laughed. The laugh was evil, and was like a thousand needles in the Hunter's own heart. Dragon Hawk disappeared in a bubble of static. She climbed into her ship, where she found a gallery of familiar equipment on the wall. The Power Beam, along with the Wave Beam hung on the wall of her ship. She fitted them onto her suit.

            _This won't be good, _she thought. _Dragon Hawk is a formidable opponent. _Samus shut her ship's hatch and lifted off. A decent landing site would be nice. She did not look long until she found the ruins of the Artifact Chamber. They had mysteriously been sleeked down into a smooth black ash, almost like rock. Samus set down on top of the glassy rock. She knew that something strange was going on. The Hunter dove off the Chamber into the Impact Crater below.

            She landed safely on her feet, as is her custom, and continued forward. The Phazon being sucked out of the Core had damaged it incredibly. She hopped up the platforms into the Subchambers. Perhaps the Lair of Metroid Prime himself would bring some answers… as she drew nearer, voices began calling her name. _Samus! Samus, you are doomed… _The Hunter dismissed the voices.

            As she entered the Lair itself, the voices were now evident. The place was even more frightening now than it was with Metroid Prime in it. The voices began rising above whispers. Aran became nervous, and she screamed. She yelled out, "What the hell do you want!!" The voice chuckled. It was deeper now and more evil sounding. _You are cursed, Samus. You have walked into Hell itself. _

            "Well, yeah, with the voices and all I kinda figured that." The voice made a deep, melodious chuckle. _You do not understand, Samus Aran. Seek the Frozen Pass, in the east of the Phendrana Mountains… Samus… _Samus yelled again and ran from the Lair. She fired her ship up and returned to the mountain range again… she had no choice now… the voice held an iron grip over her soul…

            If only she knew what she was about to embark on……


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3: The Frozen Pass~

            Samus awoke the next morning feeling somewhat chilly. She pulled on the bulky Gravity Suit and activated all of her gear. She hopped out of the ship. Samus turned around to do a last-minute inspection, when suddenly she screamed. She threw off her helmet and looked into the gleam of her gunship. Her hair was gray, and her skin was rough and wrinkly.

            The Hunter fell to her knees, and looked around. The snow had ceased to move. Something terrible was going on. Then she remembered the voice… the voice in the Lair… _seek out the Frozen Pass…_

            Samus slid down an icy hill and landed on both feet, looking into an intimidating cave. As the Hunter walked in, she felt the cold air suddenly become colder. She looked down and saw a deep black abyss. As the Newborn tapped a button on her helmet to switch to scan mode, she suddenly wheeled around. Looming above her was the biggest Sheegoth ever. Samus didn't hesitate to throw herself into the abyss, preferring NOT to find out what the beast was.

            As Samus fell, she suddenly felt like she was floating. But she wasn't. Samus had landed on a soft pad of snow. As she pondered where she was, she looked up and found herself facing yet another gargantuan Sheegoth. The Hunter switched to scan mode. The sensors went over his body like a ripple, and returned some bad news:

            "_Morphology: Alpha Sheegoth. This beast is invulnerable except for a small chip in his thick ice armor somewhere on his underbelly. Extreme caution should be taken when approached._" Samus groaned and turned around. Without required Morph Ball technology, she would NEVER defeat the creature. So she confused it with a series of jumps and random beam blasts, then made a dash for the exit. Her escape failed when she slammed into solid ice.

            Samus swung around and looked straight into the eyes of the beast. She knew that to survive, the Sheegoth must die. But then she took a second look at the ice wall. It wasn't a full block of ice. Hoping for the best, Samus charged her Power Beam and got ready to blast the ice away. But right at the firing time, the Alpha Sheegoth swung his giant claw at Samus and she was thrown into the ice wall. She jumped around the monster and led it into a small cave on the far side of the landing spot. Then she confused it again and ran away. The monstrous Sheegoth, being sluggish, could not catch her before she blew away the ice. Samus jumped down a small ledge and fled. It wasn't long before she stumbled into a giant room of glittering icicles and small Ice Parasites.

            The Hunter looked below and saw a single Space Pirate who looked quite lost. She finished him before he could do any serious harm, and moved into the cavern. Samus crossed the room where there were two doors. One looked obviously un-powered, and to her dismay thermal tracking was not included in the tech she had found so far. She opened the other door and fell into a tunnel patrolled by two Sentry Drones. The drones went haywire and activated the security lockdown. She finished the drones and continued on. It wasn't long until she was in yet another tunnel, but this one was most peculiar. Two Space Pirates stood around a small mechanical device. Suddenly, the device started beeping and the Space Pirates backed away. The device unfolded into a particularly large Sentry Drone. The Space Pirates fired their beams at it, but the machine killed them both by gunning at a fuel tank behind it. The Drone engaged Samus, who found out very fast that a simple charged shot from the Wave Beam would not finish it. She repeatedly struck it, and finally after what seemed like 10 minutes of fighting she dropped it.

            The Newborn proceeded into the next room where she found a shocking discovery. Dozens of these souped-up Sentry Drones were being processed on a conveyor belt, monitored by six Space Pirates and a Power Trooper on the command platform. Samus had no desire to fight them, but then she found some inspiration. On the command platform was some equipment, which, after a quick scan, she revealed as the Missile Launcher, Super Missile, and the Thermal Visor. The Hunter, eager to gain this new equipment, jumped over a series of platforms to the command platform. The pirates spotted her and bashed her with shots that, for the most part, missed. She finished the Power Trooper and grabbed her gear. Just then, two of the strange Sentry Drones rose up.

            Equipped with her new stuff, Samus hit them with Super Missiles. They didn't drop, so she used her Wave Beam to finish them. Still under fire from the pirates below, she scanned the mainframes in the command platform. She learned horrific facts: the Space Pirates were amassing an army of souped-up drones called Military Drones. They were armed with machine guns that can scramble your combat visor and missiles that inflict heavy amounts of damage. They do not have the ability to lockdown the area, but instead they are armed with a small flamethrower for close-range combat. The pirates were creating an army of drones! With the power of Kraid at their expense and a whole battalion of mechanical nightmares, they would be unstoppable. Samus knew that she could not return to her ship, so she had to move forward.

            Samus hacked her way through Military Drone patrols, and a few space pirates, until she came to another shocking room. There were more conveyor belts, but this time there were actual Space Pirates on the conveyor belt. The next thing the Hunter learned was more horrifying then the Military Drones. Her Morph Ball was on a high platform where another conveyor belt was. Several pirates were rolling in and out of Morph Ball form.

            They had tapped into its secrets.

            It was at this time that she knew she might be fighting a losing battle. She climbed up several ice formations until she reached her Morph Ball. She bashed in the conveyor belt controls, and snatched her Morph Ball. As she fled from the room, several pirates rolled out of their morph ball form to attack Samus. She did a quick scan and identified them as "Destroyer Pirates." She also learned that their armor was considerably light because of morph ball adjustments. She dropped them in a couple of shots before moving forward. Samus knew that now if the pirates would be able to retrofit their Morph Ball prototypes with bombs, they would be unstoppable.

            The next room, to the Hunter's relief, was a large elevator shaft with nothing but a Military Drone guarding it. She hit the drone with a pair of Super Missiles and got on the elevator. It took her into the most beautiful mountain range she had ever seen. Samus tapped some buttons on her beam and within two minutes her Gunship had landed right next to the entrance. The nightmarish Frozen Pass had been passed by the Newborn for the first time, but her later adventures would bring her their again…

            She made a diagram of the area and her on-board computer mainframe identified the region as the Phendrana Backdrop, a giant sloping backside to the Phendrana Mountains that was icy and uninhabited. Samus knew that if any place, this would lead to wherever the voice had told her. She looked at her reflection again. Her face was normal, but there was something strange. She took off her helmet and blinked. Her reflection did not blink. She said 'hello,' to her reflection, but in the picture of her on the Gunship would not budge. She moved away from the ship, and the reflection stayed there. Samus knelt down and started crying. She had not cried since the day when her mother and father had been slain by pirates…

            She crawled into her ship and closed the hatch. For the first time in years, she felt hopeless. How could she fight time itself? There is no physical weapon that can correct time. Samus knew a long day was ahead of her, so she fell asleep and awaited the nightmares of tomorrow morning… but her dreams were nightmares as well… while she was asleep, she had a vision:

            _You have done well, Newborn, _the voice said. _You have cut a swath through a powerful pirate installation, but your work here is not complete. _Before Samus could react to the voice, she was viewing the Phendrana Backdrop, and the view went lower and lower until finally it hit rock bottom. There were two paths: one to the west and one eastward. A metal gate melded together with a bluish-black material blocked the one to the west… _Phazon! _Samus thought. The one to the east led to a bog-like land of fog and mud. She awoke with a start.


End file.
